River’s planning for the Martín Demichelis era: the positions it wants to strengthen and Nacho Fernández’s chance

River launched a new phase. The era of Martín Demichelis, Marcelo Gallardo’s successor, has already begun. And after being introduced to the club as a new coach, “Micho” is already in charge. And while the world looks to the World Cup in Qatar, Núñez will work on planning the 2023 races.

Demichelis returned to his home. In which he grew up in football, was educated (he finished his studies at the River Institute), did homework and made his debut in the First Division on September 2, 2001 in a match against Estudiantes at the Monumental. And the former defender left excellent sensations at the press conference of his presentation at the Auditorium Monumentale on Wednesday afternoon, where his qualified training and exceptional football culture were demonstrated. And he immediately got to work. Already installed in the country, the former defender has begun his job as manager of River.

As for his working method, Demichelis commented that his analyzes are based on four factors: technical, tactical, physical and emotional. The first two can be helped by technology, but for the other two obviously you need to see the players on the training pitch, chat with them, feel their faces. And he will focus on these issues once the players return to work, on December 10, after the holidays that began last Monday. “We will begin to discuss and find foundations with my work team, thanks to the kindness and honesty that Marcelo’s (Gallardo) technical staff has had to help us facilitate this transition by providing all the data seen for our planning,” he said. declared Demichelis.

And before defining what his game scheme and strategy will be, the coach said that “first I have to talk to the players and see them”. And he explained: “Suppose he says that we will start playing with a 4-3-3 and then that the team will change. But the mutations will vary depending on whether the extremes push from the inside out or whether we prefer to push inward to recover from the outside. Whether the insides will be placed high or whether they will be low to see where it is best to have numerical superiority, in phase 1, phase 2 or phase 3. Whether the wings go out or in. We will talk about all this with the players and we will decide it based on their football, physical and emotional state. But there is something we won’t compromise on: the idea of ​​being protagonists. And we will respect the language of River Plate, which is the language of leadership, discipline, respect, unity and effort.”

River’s new manager wants to see all the players on and off the pitch. Everything will be under evaluation. And, as he said, he wants to have “players who want to be there”. So, with the exception of Tomás Pochettino, who would not make use of the purchase option that the American Austin had set for himself, the others are under consideration, including Juanfer Quintero, for whom work will be done to resolve his situation with Chinese Shenzhen. (He IS still a player of that club and there are stipulations that River should pay 2 million dollars for 50% of the pass or 4 million of the same coin for 100%) and try to continue.

As for reinforcements, the idea – according to what he was able to find out clarion– is to go for 3 or 4 players. No more than that amount as they believe the campus is armed. The attention will be placed above all on a left-footed central scorer, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and, perhaps, less priority, a striker.

As for possible arrivals there is a dream: repatriate Nacho Fernández. The midfielder, a fundamental piece in Gallardo’s cycle, also has that desire, but he still has one year left on his contract with Atlético Mineiro. And although the return is more feasible for 2024, if there are any chances of negotiating with the Brazilian club, they will try to make the dream come true by 2023.

On the other hand, there are 10 players returning from loans and for whom Demichelis will also have to decide whether to reinstate some of them in his squad or to sell them again. Ten of them are due now. They are: Augusto Batalla (San Lorenzo), Alex Vigo (Independent), Tomás Lecanda, Thomas Gutiérrez (both from Barracas Central), Augusto Aguirre, Matías Benitez (both from San Martín de San Juan), Tomás Castro Ponce (Godoy Cruz), Hernán López Muñoz (Córdoba de Santiago del Estero Central), Tomás Galván and Agustín Fontana (both from Defense and Justice). Meanwhile, Elías Gómez, whose loan with Godoy Cruz expired at the end of the year, returned a couple of months ago and is recovering from a torn cruciate ligament at River.

Looking ahead to December 10, when the players return to their routine studies, Demichelis and his coaching staff will already have everything planned before starting work. On the 12th the team will travel to Potrero de los Funes, in San Luis, to start the preseason work. They will remain there until the 22nd and there is the possibility of playing a friendly, even if there is no confirmed rival yet. Then they will work the last week of December at the Ezeiza RiverCamp and the other part of the preseason will be held in Miami from January 3 to 18, 2023. There are already two friendlies in sight, with Rayados de Monterrey and Millonarios de Bogotá and there could be more .

Thus, the new era in River, with Demichelis in charge, has already begun.